Trouble With the Base. Lots of Trouble.

One of my best and oldest friends, one of the smartest guys I know and a lifelong conservative–which makes him smarter than me!–copied me on an email he sent to RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman this morning. I’m reproducing it in full, with his permission, because I think it conveys as well as anything I’ve seen the depth of the anger, frustration and sense of betrayal that many dyed-in-the-wool Republicans feel over the illegal immigration issue. Here it is:

….not too good for the team…40% support FORCIBLE deportation of illegal immigrants!!! (I doubt that is the true level of support — but it IS a proxy for support of enforcing EMPLOYMENT laws stringently — and AGAINST amnesty.)

a decent third party candidate in ’08 and you guys are TOAST….of course, it cuts against the Dems, too…but do you really want to risk it, Ken?

guys like me are REALLY pissed!!…loyal conservatives, supporters of the GOP and GWB….we feel DEEPLY betrayed over the immigration issue — and INSULTED by the dishonesty and arrogance of the political and media elite…

…I, for one, am FULLY prepared to do whatever I can to punish those in the GOP responsible for this travesty…including, without limitation, McCain, Lindsey Graham, Martinez, Kyl, Frist (who may be coming around, it appears), Hagel and Specter (who doesn’t care) and, if it were possible, GWB….